Story+1978-12-13+Tucson,+AZ

Interview with unknown DJ from KSAN //Transcribed by Roulette909// Bruce: People say when you’re successful or what’s successful, you know, and like for me, I was successful when, I avoided having, you know, a 9 to 5 job. To me, that was success, you know, I was like going out and playing at night. I wasn’t making a lot of dough, you know, there’s clubs, the bars and stuff but I felt, you know, I felt, less compared to everybody around, I felt real. I wasn’t attached to a lot of things. You know, my folks moved out to California, when I was 18 or 19 so, I just got, you know, I didn’t have any responsibilities really except to myself, you know, and, and uh, the guys in my band. So, it was just, it was just like an easy life and an, an emotional outlet, you know, that uh, kept the cap, cap on, you know, and uh, so, I was always, I wasn’t, I wasn’t satisfied but I was, I was, you know, I was like uh, I felt good about what I was doing, you know, I mean, went out to California when I was, I was 18, and uh, drove out there.
 * DJ: Talk about success**

Through a lot of stuff, you know, a lot of stuff that most of the people where I was, you know, from, like in Asbury Park, when we were gonna make a record, forget it, you know, I didn’t know anybody who ever made a record, you know, nobody ever made a record, nobody had ever, uh, done anything too much, you know, and so, it was like a whole other world, you know, it was like, I didn’t, I don’t think I ever knew anybody who ever like. . . went to Pennsylvania (chuckles), it was like, everybody stayed, it was real, everybody stayed close.

So, when we were going out there, like we traveled in uh, in this old Chevy truck with all the equipment in the back and stuff, you know, $100 each and we just went out there and we went to California and we played at uh, matter of fact, we played at the Fillmore on audition night, on Tuesday, remember they use to have a Tuesday audition nights? Well, we came out and we played … 2 Tuesdays and I remember because we opened up the show and I remember Nils Lofgren played that night. I could see he was auditioning too. He was great. He had a great band. That was when he had Grin, you know, they were, er really good. And uh, we bound around. Then we played a place called The Matrix. ..

Bruce: … which uh, we used to uh, open for, open for Boz Scaggs when his first album came out, the one on Atlantic, we used to open for him and we used to open for uh, like Elvin Bishop, you know, Charlie Musselwhite. We worked there. That was great. The Matrix was great for us ‘cause it gave us jobs. We couldn’t get jobs anyplace else really, you know. So, that was, I think 1970.
 * DJ: Hmm mmm**

When we, first time we went up to Seattle and Portland and there, it’s like, when you fly in there, it looks like the wilderness or something (chuckles), you know, it’s funny, it’s, it’s, it’s real, it’s nice, but it’s and then like last time we were up there, it was uh, it was great, you know, we had like _ people, the people and stuff were, they just really fantastic for us, you know, really fantastic. Now, and the funny thing about being up there is I’d never been up there long enough to take a look around. Like that was always been a place for some reason that we’d gone in and you know, 2days-2 shows or 3 days-2 shows, you know, so I really hadn’t had a chance to, I like to do, I like to stop a day and walk around town or something, you know. . . (?) . ..

We made it back somehow. Had to borrow money to get back but, it was a big deal. It was a big adventure, you know. I came back. ‘Hey!’ I came back to New Jersey. Hey, we’ve been to California. Matter of fact, we used to advertise that on, on the shows, when we came back. ..

Bruce:. . . Yeah, back from California. First, you know, big deal, you know (chuckles), it was like uh, it was uh, that was a big, that was the thing in those days, if you went out and you came back and we had a review, this fellow, Phillip Ellwood, in uh,. ..
 * DJ: Direct from California?**

Bruce:. . . you know, doing a review way back when I was 20 years old and we brought that back and they printed it in the hometown paper (chuckles) and everything. It was, you know it was great.
 * DJ: Yeah (?)**

You know, people are always struggling, struggling, struggling. I guess, I guess I sorta was, I felt, to me, I felt more of a struggle after I was. . . notorious (chuckles), you know, I mean, you know what I mean, sorta after uh, uh, after the magazines and stuff, you know. Then, I felt, I felt the struggle then. Before, I didn’t feel no struggles (Bruce holds back a cough). . . I thought I was living, living it up. And it’s like, if you’re gonna make more than $500 a night, you’re gonna have more than $500 problems, you know (chuckles), it’s like that’s all there is to it.

Bruce: The thing about the records is that the problem is you get mixed up in style and stuff, you get mixed up in style (?) stylization. ..
 * DJ: How do you deal with the difference between performing live and making records?**

Bruce:. . . Yeah, I do ‘em, you know, it’s like you get mixed up with uh, sometimes, making a sound or something, you know, which, in a lot of my stuff, and you relax a little bit and you look at it, no, what about this and that, this note, you do all that kind of stuff. My stuff just, I guess is generally better, when uh, you don’t do that stuff with it sorta, you know, uh, at least live it, it’s not, it’s not music to be, to relax with. It’s not about relaxing, you know.
 * DJ: _(one word)?**

None of the songs are, relaxing I guess, and uh, you know, it’s like, ‘cause on stage and every muscle in my body is tight for 3 hours (chuckles), you know, I feel like I got a stick up my back, you know, it’s like uh, it’s about. . . that kind of tension or something. What’s it feel when you’re real scared, how you tense up or how you, you know, or when you’re ready or something, I don’t know, it’s hard to explain but that’s, like that’s the difference and that’s the way, like we approach it on stage, you know, and I just blast it out, you know, as hard as I can (chuckles).

Bruce: Yeah, we’re gonna do one, gonna do one after this next studio album, I think
 * DJ: Do you have any, get any thought to doing an actual live album?**

Bruce: Naw, I’m, I’m not gonna take that long anymore, you know. That was, like, a real, circumstantial thing, you know. Both those albums had very long periods of time in between them, you know. This time, you know, I’m gonna try and record a lot faster. I wanna write all the songs first and then, you know, go in and just record them, you know, as best as I can
 * DJ: Are we gonna have to wait another 2 years and 9 months for (?) ?**

Bruce: You know, and uh, writing is funny, it’s like, you just get an idea and you do it, you know. The hard part is finishing and stuff, you know, you gotta finish it, it’s like homework, and you know you gotta, you know you got two lines, you need a third one, and I just try to write stuff that, that I can stand to sing, you know, it’s like, you know, stuff that don’t sound silly, you know, it’s hard to do (chuckles). It’s, that’s the hardest part for me. That’s the part I, that’s the part that I enjoy the least and is the most rewarding in the end, you know, you really gotta, ‘cause you gotta check it out, you know, when I, like when you write, when you create stuff for songs, that’s the measure, that’s really you’re measuring yourself, you crank, you know, you pull your hair out, you know, you smash head into the wall, until, until uh, until it’s done, it’s finished, you know, it’s exhausting.
 * DJ: When you do you have the time to write?**

I guess, if, if it motivates, it’s the best, that’s the best, you know, like when a kid comes up to me and says, ‘Hey, this song, did this for me,’ you know, or, you know, if it changes people’s minds, or anything like that, if you any effect whatsoever, it’s, it’s a miraculous thing (chuckles).

I just try to, I dunno, I guess when I sit down, you try to write, I guess about what, you know, just what you see and what you’re going through and what you see around you, you know. What I seen around me, I don’t see like, the whole rock ‘n’ roll thing is just totally, it’s unrealistic, it’s, I don’t mean the rock ‘n’ roll thing, I mean, like the accoutrements.

You know the rock’n’ roll spirit is forever, that’s like forever on the street, you know, I think, you know. The other stuff? That’s up in like, you know, the suite at the Hilton (chuckles), you know, it’s like that’s uh, like the whole star system or something. Got hooked up with like a Hollywood star system, you know, um, in a, in a, in a bad kind of way, you know what I mean, like the limos, and uh, and all that stuff, you know, is, is, just, um, I guess some people can do it and some people can’t, you know, it’s like uh, Elvis always could do it great, Jerry Lee, (?), all those guys, they had the great flamboyance, you know, the great, the wild outrageousness (chuckles), you know.

I dunno, I always get, it’s one of the things I spent a lot of time thinking about I guess when, when it, when I started to have these particular, people started to offer me these particular things, you know. You know, hey, let’s get a car, let’s get this or let’s get that, or uh, I’ve always been suspicious of it for some reason. I guess afraid that, you know, it’s like, I see, you see too many get blown away by that kind of stuff I think, you know. I don’t know what happens to you. You go down the drain. You know Elvis was the ultimate example, you know, it was a real heartbreaker, you know.

Bruce: I am gonna, there’s another part of the show? (chuckles)
 * DJ: To me, one of the most amazing things is that you’ve put so much energy into your show and . . . the people who are listening to us have heard the first half of your show and you’re gonna come back, you’re gonna triple and quadruple the amount of energy and that doesn’t even include the encores. Where do you come up with the physical energy to do this?**

Bruce: (chuckles)
 * DJ: There’s more to come . . .**

Bruce: Oh. ..
 * DJ: . . . Yeah, that’s what we’ve been telling them . . .**

Bruce:. . . Uh-oh, Clarence! (chuckles)
 * DJ: . . . That’s why they’re willing to listen to us talk . . .**

[The End]

”Alright. . . How many folks got the Greetings From Asbury Park album? (cheers). . . It’s so hard. . . to be a saint. . . in the city. ..
 * 13.12.78 Tucson, AZ, intro to ´It’s Hard To Be A Saint In The City´**

(…) It’s so hard to be a saint. . . in the city“

"Who was, uh, who was at the show we did in the summertime over here in Phoenix, huh ? (cheers)....I just wanna tell youse that....that there´s gonna be....on tv in February, there´s gonna be some show (?) I don´t know what station it´s gonna be on but it´s stuff that we filmed in Phoenix but not the whole show so....in February sometime there´s gonna be a show called ´Heroes of Rock´n´Roll´ and if you look in closely, maybe you can see yourself or something (chuckles) . . . I don´t know....alright....(?) here´s ´Darkness on the Edge of Town´ ....”
 * 13.12.78 Tucson, AZ, intro to ´Darkness on the Edge of Town´**

"This is, this next song is a song, uh....I wrote during, uh....during the ´Darkness on the Edge of Town´-record....and it didn´t make it on it but, uh . . . this is a song for anybody leaving home, if anybody just left home this year....ain´t nobody gonna make your bed now, right ! (chuckles) . . . If you just left home, this is for you, this is called ´Independence Day´....”
 * 13.12.78 Tucson, AZ, intro to ´Independence Day´**

“The dogs on main street howl. . . ;cause they understand. . . ”
 * 13.12.78 Tucson, AZ, intro to ´The Promised Land´ **

“Alright, you guys actually stick around, huh? (cheers). . . gonna do a song called The Ties That Bind. . . (fans are yelling something). . . GARRY: New York? Is thats where you’re from? . . . What’d Garry say? From New York? . . . (Bruce makes 5 short comments that are too hard to make out but the fans dig ‘em). . .”
 * 13.12.78 Tucson, AZ, intro to ´The Ties That Bind´ **

"Alright, let me set the scene for you.....it was back in 19....1970....and we were, me and Steve were playing in this little club in Asbury Park . . . Student Prince . . . [OUT->(?)] . . . and it was a, it was a night just like this....except it was only about 10 degrees, it was snowing, we were walking on the boardwalk....it was Christmas Eve and all of a sudden....way down at the end....we saw something coming towards us....”
 * 13.12.78 Tucson, AZ, intro to ´Santa Claus Is Coming to Town´ **

“This is a song that was on Robert Gordon’s second album. It’s called …Fire. . . “
 * 13.12.78 Tucson, AZ, intro to ´Fire´ **

“We’re gonna get to that one for you, alright? . . . (?) a new song. . . it’s called Point Blank. . . “
 * 13.12.78 Tucson, AZ, intro to ´Point Blank´ **

Big Man! . . . (Fan yells: ‘Yeah!’). . . And definitely you too. . . I call her up. . . She ain’t home. . . I go by her house. . . She ain’t home. . . I send her a letter. . . I get no reply. . . I wanna lay down. . . I come to my house. . . real late. . . I see two silhouettes. . . on the window shade. . . and then that’s when. . . I GET MAD! . . . like Al Capone. . . I GET MAD! . . . like Jesse James. . . I GET MAD! . . . like Pretty Boy Floyd, shoot her (some guitar sizzle). . . I GET MAD! . . . like Smokin’ Joe. . . I GET MAD! . . . like Popeye. . . Big Man. . . Sometimes, I get SO mad. . . How mad? (chuckles). . . How mad can you. . . I get SO MAD. . . that, I just wanna. . . I just feel like I gotta. . . but I can’t. . . I feel like I wanna. . . (band stops). . . I feel like I just gotta. . . I feel like if I don’t. . . I feel like I just got to. . . I feel like I wanna. . . It’s only I feel like I got to. . . I just wanna. . . I just wanna. . . I just wanna. . .”
 * 13.12.78 Tucson, AZ, “I Get Mad!” in “She’s The One” **

“. . . till the end. . . just me and you baby. . . just me and you ba-a-by. . . just me and you girl. . . just me and you ba-a-by. . . just me and you girl. . .”
 * 13.12.78 Tucson, AZ, intro to ´Backstreets´ **

“You guys … _____ _____ _____ sometime, alright? . . . Time to put this away, maybe. . . A little space _____ _____ _____. . . What? . . . _____ _____ _____ . . . It can wait. . . Well, he’s fuckin’ wet. . . Is it me? (cheers). . .”
 * 13.12.78 Tucson, AZ, intro to ´Rosalita´ ** [NOTE: Pure guessing here but it sounds like what he’s saying. Each ____ represents an identifiable syllable, if you want to play Hangman!]

"We´ve got with us tonight....on the piano....the only member of the band with a full high school diploma....let´s hear it for education and Professor Roy Bittan.....on the guitar....we have....the illustrious....Miami Steve Van Zandt....on the bass guitar....let´s hear it for (?) Mr.Garry W.Tallent.....on the drums....let´s hear if for North Jersey....and Mighty Max Weinberg.....on the organ....let´s hear it for parts unknown.....and for Phantom Dan Federici ....and last but not least....do I have to say his name ?....do I have to say his name ?....the king of the world....master of the universe....duke of Paducah....(?)....is it a bird ?....is it a plane ?....is it the Big Man ? ....on the saxophone, Mr.Clarence Clemons.....”
 * 13.12.78 Tucson, AZ, middle of ´Rosalita´**

”Thank you. . . I wanna thank everybody for coming down to the show tonight, thank you very much. . . we really appreciate it. . . I know a lot of you guys stand out. . . (feedback). . . A lot of you guys stand out outside in line waiting for tickets and stuff for a long time and I want you to know we appreciate it and. . . Thanks … This is for Arizona. . . "
 * 13.12.78 Tucson, AZ, intro to ´Born To Run´ **

”We’re gonna play a song. It’s one of the best dance songs ever recorded. . . originally done by Mitch Ryder And The Detroit Wheels. . . “
 * 13.12.78 Tucson, AZ, intro to ´Detroit Medley´ **

"I just....bring it down a little bit....I just spoke to the hall management that I have to make an emergency announcement....if there´s anybody, if there´s anybody in the house tonight.... bring it down a little bit....if there´s anybody in the house that has a weak heart or a weak stomach.....would you please during the next section of this song step out into the lobby as it might dangerous to your health ?....I warned you....don´t sue me !....sue yourself !....´cause it ain´t so bad....when me and the Big Man do this....and it ain´t so bad when me and the Big Man do this....and you might even escape with light injuries and a short trip to the emergency room when me and the Big Man do this....but if you´re foolish enough to stick around when we do this....”
 * 13.12.78 Tucson, AZ, middle of ´Detroit Medley´**

"So you guys think you can handle the whole shot, huh ?....we´ll see !....(?) slap yourself in the face, check your pulse, go see a doctor tomorrow (?)....”
 * 13.12.78 Tucson, AZ, intro to ´Quarter to Three´**

//Compiled by : Johanna Pirttijärvi & Roulette909//